The Scale and the Ram
by difficile
Summary: Penelo doesn't understand how they defy the laws of astrology. Balthier/Vaan.


**_A/N: Believe it or not, it's rude not to review._**

**_Did some research for fun on Balthier and Vaan's Zodiac signs. It's obvious Balthier is a Libra, but I was debating between Leo and Aries for Vaan until I decided that Aries fit him more._**

**_Most of this information in this fic was dug through many years of random astrology-info searching._**

**_This is in Penelo's PoV._**

* * *

_lxii – irregular orbit_

* * *

Libras are a total sissies – especially the gay guy ones; naturally, this drives Aries crazy, considering Aries just wants to dive into anything headfirst.

Aries is a happy go lucky sign, always – the exact thing to set off Libra's picky scales.

I know, I know: Opposites attract. I just never saw such an interaction with my own eyes. Seeing _is_ believing, as you know.

_How_ they get along is beyond me; they deny the laws of astrology. Vaan always makes fun of me for swearing by the Zodiac, but I think that's because he's never really invested in learning about it. I mean, after observing these two crazy boys for the three weeks we've been traveling with each other so far, I can easily say that everything I've studied about their signs relates to them one hundred and one percent.

According to my handy dandy astrology book (that I totally _didn't_ five-finger-discount from a book sale at Yuugri's Magicks, by the way), Libra males are one giant metrosexual ego on two legs. Remind you of anyone? Hm, a certain _sky pirate_, maybe?

Yup. Thought so.

One time, when the whole party was taking a break in Rabanastre, I was walking by a store shop and saw Balthier primping his hair while he looked at his reflection through the window. That's when I figured he was a Libra. After, you know, placing aside the whole perfectionist-when-it-comes-to-wardrobe factor, and his proper way of carrying himself, and the fact that he uses ranged weapons so not to get dirty.

I remember I just stood behind a corner and watched with a grin as Vaan walked up and stood right by Balthier, mimicking him for quite a while until Balthier realized who was beside him.

I couldn't hear the conversation, but from what I gathered, Balthier probably said something demeaning and sarcastic before walking away, earning a cute glare (because no matter how hard Vaan tries – unless furious – he always looks adorable when he's mad) from my dear childhood friend. Next thing I knew, Vaan was running right after Balthier and slapped him behind the head, laughing like a maniac as the sky pirate tried to keep up with a born and bred Rabanastran thief.

They spent the rest of the day together…

--

Libra has very high attention to detail.

Aries finds character in flaw.

_How_ this whole entire snowball fight (war? …Guess I shouldn't make jokes about war.) started over a crooked pebble-eye of a snowman is beyond me. I think I remember how the conversation went that started it all…

The seven of us (counting Larsa, mind you) were camped out on the Fading Vale of the Paramina Rift. Vaan was entertaining himself with making a snowman… though it wasn't looking too much like a man.

More like, well… something a wyrm just shat out. Balthier must have noticed this too, because he stopped his lounging by the campfire and approached Vaan.

"Dare I ask, Vaan, what kind of monstrosity you've concocted now?"

If there is one thing I love about my best friend, it's that he's never discouraged. He just paused from his activity and looked up at Balthier.

"It's a snowflan!"

Even though I could barely hear it over by the campfire (and Larsa just wouldn't stop trying to make conversation with me, so I really had to strain to catch anything), I could have sworn Balthier chuckled at the play-on-words. Vaan was clever when he wanted to be. When Larsa finally shut his yap (don't get me wrong, the kid is adorable, but in the freezing cold my patience is as thin as the Rift's ice when it comes to how much I can take) I could hear the rest of the conversation.

"The left eye is crooked," Balthier, ever the cynic, pointed out.

"Flans aren't exactly proportional," Vaan retorted.

"And what would _you_ know about proportion?"

"I know that your right nostril is slightly bigger than the left."

There was a long pause before Vaan just beamed up at Balthier. "But I think it gives you character."

I think the whole party around the campfire just stopped everything at that moment. Larsa was halfway in the middle of enlightening me of Omisace's history, Ashe was carrying on a conversation with Basch, and Fran was sharpening her arrows… that is before Vaan almost _caused an avalanche _with his screams of protest as Balthier dunked him headfirst into his snowflan. I was kind of worried at first – Vaan is a desert-boy, after all. That was his first time ever being in snow. And it's not like he had a lot of warmth to cover his arms, either, no matter how muscular he may be.

Once Vaan had wrestled free of Balthier's grip (which wasn't that hard, unsurprisingly – people take Vaan for granted when it comes to his limits in strength. He's actually very agile.), he gathered two handfuls of snow and shoved one in Balthier's face before crushing the other one on top of his head.

Everyone around the campfire continued to watch. I didn't dare look away from this hilarious sight, but I'm pretty sure even Fran was smiling through this ordeal. Snow and ice were dripping down Balthier's face, the gel on his hair totally useless now. His bangs flopped forward messily and I could hear him growl like an angry Lobo.

Vaan's assault ensued a sudden chase of sky pirate and desert thief around the Fading Vale before Balthier chased the blonde bimbo out of our campsite and into the almost-intense snowstorm raging out in the Head of the Silverflow.

That worried me, too. Balthier stood at the tip of the Vale, guarding the entrance back to the site like a watchdog as Vaan tried as many tactics of dodging and agility he could to get past Balthier… and these attempts worked quite poorly, for there is a very notable difference between dodging people in the desert and dodging people in the middle of a snowstorm.

Aries is dogged, but also loves to play… Vaan was shivering, but he was smiling through his breaths.

Libra doesn't like to play, especially when his attire is disheveled… but I could see Balthier was enjoying himself.

I could sense Vaan wanted to get back to the campfire, though, before he caught frostbite. Outside the Vale I saw he paused every now and then to rub his arms. And so, being the gracious best friend I am, I stood from the campfire after plotting with Larsa (and making at least five perfect snowballs mixed with ice) to approach Balthier from behind. Although Larsa chose not to partake in the "shenanigans" as he called it, I had more than enough fun for two people chucking iceballs at Balthier.

He turned to me, facing the campsite and away from Vaan, crossing his arms. "Not you too, Penelo," he rolled his eyes, bending down to make his own snowball.

Vaan took this opportunity to dash as fast as he could with a rather large iceball in hand, towards the bent over Balthier. Without warning he flung his arm back and then forward like a catapult, hitting the sky pirate right on his leather-clad bum.

Hearing the ice break from the contact made me giggle.

So I threw two more snowballs before retreating behind Larsa, allowing Balthier and Vaan to go at it again.

At least a half hour later they trudged back to the campfire, both soaked to the bone and shivering.

They slept curled against each other that night by the fire, under the small blanket they ended up civilly sharing.

--

Libra individuals are cunning, observing, and refined.

Aries individuals are willful, determined, and independent.

You'd think with these six traits they would make a good hunting team to score some extra loot… well, you'd be dead wrong. I don't quite know what happened on their private little outing to get rid of one of Montblanc's many marks, but they entered the Strahl that evening with sour looks on their faces.

"You _shot_ me in the arm."

"You wouldn't move out of my range – 'twas an accident."

"That's why you laughed?"

"That was just…an added bonus."

"Maybe if you'd drop your sissy gun and take a blade, you'd fight like a real man."

"You're accusing _me_ of lacking masculinity when y_ou're_ wearing a half-vest that reveals practically your entire upper body?"

"You love it."

And... Balthier agreed. (While everyone else stared in bewilderment)

They soon went in his small cabin and didn't come out all night. I heard strange noises relating to...Well, you can probably imagine.

I don't know if this is in my astrology book, but Libras should be famous for their sex drives...

--

Libra males will point out the worst in something so it will change.

Aries males hate negativity, so they try to exaggerate on the good things to mask the bad.

_How_ they still manage to lay flat on their backs, side by side, stargazing at the Cerobbi Steppe without any arguments is beyond me.

Well, I do have one theory…

They both love the sky – I think that is one thing they can both agree on when it comes to aesthetic beauty. Vaan always tried to start a conversation about the stars and such when we would sit atop the roofs in Rabanastre at night, but I could never really relate. Deep down I always felt guilty for not being able to appreciate something Vaan was so passionate about, but now it's nice seeing him share this with another.

I could hear soft laughs from where I sat by the tents; they were enjoying each other's company, whatever their conversations consisted of.

And then they fell into silence for a long while.

I don't think they needed words to communicate their feelings.

--

Libra loves to be adored, and will adore in return.

Aries loves to adore – Aries loves to _love_.

How they manage to be so passionate with each other is no mystery, then.

I hope they stay together for a long while. By now, I think I've lost track of how many times they've exchanged those three magic words…

Vaan's devotion and loyalty is a perfect fit for Balthier's testy scales. They balance each other out flawlessly, and I hope they continue to do so… I hope a lot of things.

But Vaan deserves this kind of love, I know that more than anyone. And he's more than willing to love back.

I just hope it doesn't hurt him in the end.


End file.
